Oliver Stone plans controversy with history series

Director Oliver Stone is courting controversy with his new TV mini-series – he plans to put historical villains “into context.”

The “W” film-maker’s new documentary show, “Secret History of America,” will focus on dictators including Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Chinese communist leader Mao Tse-tung, as well as events that shaped the United States’ history.

And Stone is adamant he will put forward a new perspective on some of history’s most evil men.

He says, “Stalin, Hitler, Mao, these people have been vilified pretty thoroughly by history. Stalin has a complete other story. Not to paint him as a hero, but to tell a more factual representation. We can’t judge people as only ‘bad’ or ‘good.’

“Hitler is an easy scapegoat throughout history and it’s been used cheaply. He’s the product of a series of actions. Its cause and effect… People in America don’t know the connection between World War I and World War II.

“I’ve been able to walk in Stalin’s shoes and Hitler’s shoes to understand their point of view. We’re going to educate our minds and liberalize them and broaden them. We want to move beyond opinions.”